The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Typically, a package for delivery is left at or near a recipient's door if the recipient does not grant access to a carrier employee delivering the package. For example, a carrier employee attempting to deliver a box to a user's home may ring the user's doorbell. The user may not be home or may not hear the doorbell and, thus, the carrier employee may leave the box outside the user's door. A package left at or near a recipient's door may be susceptible to damage via environmental conditions (e.g., rain, snow, ice, wind, etc.), traffic (e.g., foot traffic, pets, etc.), and may also be susceptible to theft.
Generally, known package pick-up and delivery arrangements used to distribute goods or packages fundamentally operate on human interaction. For example, goods are typically collected by a courier at a drop box or scheduled on-site pick-up. Information identifying the packages and their destination is typically entered into a centralized tracking database by the courier or other personnel. The packages are then transported to a distribution node for sorting, routing, and hand delivery to the intended destination. Delivery of the packages again requires a courier to physically carry the package to the intended destination. If a package can not be delivered to the destination, for example a home residence where none of the occupants are home at the time of delivery, the package must be couriered to a retention facility for later pick-up by the intended party or another delivery attempt must be scheduled.
There is currently a great need for an improved delivery system in a situation where a person is not available to receive the item at the time of the delivery. The great increase in the number of households where both husband and wife work out of the home, and the growing volume of E-commerce combine to increase this need. It is very costly for delivery companies to make return calls, and simply leaving packages on a porch or doorway invites theft and precludes verification of delivery.
Ideally an addressee who expects to receive a package, or who receives notice of a package delivery attempt would temporarily deploy a large receptacle on his apartment door which would be accessible to both the U.S. mail carrier and private carriers such as United Parcel Service, or Federal Express but not to anyone else. The receptacle would be removably attached to the apartment door so that it can only be removed when the apartment door is first unlocked and opened. The size of the container would permit it to accommodate the majority of packages that are sent through the mail and it would be strong enough to resist the kind of minor tampering that may occasionally occur in an apartment building.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,434 to Law discloses a key safe with a combination lock which can be attached to a door. The key safe is designed to separate when unlocked, into an upper attachment means and a main lower body. By its design, operation and small size it is not suitable for use as a package receptacle. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,850 to Walker discloses a receptacle for the temporary storage of shoes in a hotel. The receptacle is opened by key, attaches to the top of the door, which substantially forms a portion of the backwall of the receptacle. By its design, limited size, and method of use, the receptacle is unsuited for receiving large packages and is not available to mail carriers. U.S. Pat. No. 1,351,388 to Kabaci discloses a locking device for closing the mouth of a mailbag. The lock utilizes a loop which threads into eyelets in the sack and can be used as a handle for carrying the sack. A key operated lock is attached to the loop and can be locked to prevent opening of the sack.
Other proposals have involved package securing devices that protect unattended delivered packages. The problem with these locking devices is that they do not trigger a visual and/or audible alarm to indicate the disturbance to the package. Also, they do not have a coded pad that controls a gate, such that when the package recipient or package deliverer register a predetermined code, the gate opens to enable access to electric cable and alarm reset means. Even though the above cited package securing devices meets some of the needs of the market, an electrical continuity unattended package security apparatus that prevents an unattended item from being stolen or molested by detecting disturbance to electrical continuity through an electric cable and a bag defined by a matrix of conductive wires; whereby a disturbance to the electric cable or the conductive wires triggers a visual and/or audible alarm to indicate the disturbance; whereby the terminus of the cable forms a loop that serves as a mounting means to an anchoring structure; and whereby a coded pad controls a gate, such that when the package recipient or package deliverer register a predetermined code, the gate opens to enable access to electric cable and alarm reset means, is still desired.